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Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols’ 41-17 loss to No. 1 Georgia

By Caleb Calhoun

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh (6) escapes tackles during a football game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football Bp
Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh (6) escapes tackles during a football game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football Bp /
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Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) is tackled by Tennessee linebacker Jeremy Banks (33) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) is tackled by Tennessee linebacker Jeremy Banks (33) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football /

1. Rush defense is still a problem.

Yes, the old cliche for why teams win in the SEC was as true as possible in this game: defense and dominating the line of scrimmage. While Tennessee football struggled to move the ball on the ground, the Vols once again had issues at stopping the run.

It also, once again, had to do with quarterbacks. Stetson Bennett did what quarterbacks have been doing to the Vols since the Ole Miss Rebels, as he ran for 40 yards and a touchdown. Those 40 yards came despite two sacks being allowed and UT’s pass rush actually being pretty solid.

The issue, once again, was the linebackers just being unable to get off blocks and contain the quarterback. Beyond Bennett, the Vols allowed James Cook and Zamir White to torch them. Cook had 10 carries for 104 yards, and White had 12 carries for 55 yards. Oh, then there was Kenny McIntosh, who had seven carries for 48 yards.

Those three combined for 207 yards, and as a team, the Dawgs combined for 274 yards on the ground. That’s the whole story of how they dominated Tennessee football. Their offensive efficiency has been overshadowed by their elite defense, but it showed in this game, particularly on the ground.

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